Republicans Again Sow Seeds of Distrust and Impugn Election Integrity with Move to Micromanage Wisconsin Elections Commission Ability to Protect Voter Health and Safety

MADISON – Today, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) met to consider directives to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) regarding special voting deputies and absentee voting at care facilities. Special Voting Deputies (SVD) are trained election officials who are deputized by a Municipal Clerk to carry out the duties of absentee voting at nursing homes, retirement homes, and other care facilities.

Since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Wisconsin, the state has conducted three statewide elections, all of which saw a surge in absentee voting. In each of these elections, WEC provided guidance to Clerks that temporarily altered the use of SVDs to ensure absentee voting for nursing home residents could be done safely while minimizing health risks and preserving residents’ right to vote. During today’s meeting, Republicans on the committee again sowed the seeds of distrust and impugned the integrity of our elections, despite evidence and court rulings upholding that our elections were free and fair.

“The action taken by Republicans today continues their campaign to sow the seeds of distrust in our election officials and to impugn the integrity of our elections. Their vote acts to micromanage the Elections Commission and its ability to protect the health and safety of voters during the pandemic,” said Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) who serves as the Ranking Assembly Democrat on JCRAR. “Wisconsin’s election officials have acted with the highest level of integrity as they worked to ensure public health guidance is followed while administering free and fair elections in the most challenging of circumstances.“

Rep. Subeck has represented the 78th Assembly District since 2015 and serves as vice-chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus.

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